Gettysburg Daily

An Icy and Foggy East Cemetery Hill

January 8, 2009

Tuesday and Wednesday’s weather system brought ice and fog to the Gettysburg area on Wednesday. The Equestrian monument to Major-General Winfield Scott Hancock is visible through icy branches of a tree on East Cemetery Hill. This view was taken facing south at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, January 7, 2009.

Gettysburg has not received a lot of snow this winter season, but freezing rain on Tuesday night brought ice on Wednesday. The ice mostly stayed in the grass and in the trees, not on the roads. Although it was supposed to warm up by Wednesday afternoon, and the ice was supposed to be gone, as you’ll see by these shots, it was still very visible.

This view of East Cemetery Hill shows the 134th New York Monument on the left, Weidrich’s Battery I, 1st New York below the equestrian monument to Major-General Oliver O. Howard, and the monument to the 73rd Pennsylvania Infantry regiment on the right. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, January 7, 2009.

The ice was very visible in the grass and the trees Wednesday afternoon. Weidrich’s Battery is in the foreground, and the equestrian monument to Major-General Oliver O. Howard is in the background. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, January 7, 2009.

The Howard statue was dedicated in 1932. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, January 7, 2009.

Here’s a view of the Howard statue last April. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 4:30 PM on Tuesday, April 1, 2008.

Icicles are present on General Howard and his horse. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, January 7, 2009.

Icicles are also hanging off one of the guns marking the position of Weidrich’s New York Battery. The large monument on the other (south) side of the wall is to Rickett’s Pennsylvania Battery. The other two monuments in the background are to Cooper’s Pennsylvania Battery. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, January 7, 2009.

The monument to the 7th West Virginia Infantry is in the background. This view was taken facing west at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, January 7, 2009.

A closeup of the 7th West Virginia. This view was taken facing west at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, January 7, 2009.

General Howard’s headquarters marker is the upturned artillery barrel is the foreground. On the other (south) side of the wall is the monument to the 14th Indiana Infantry and the equestrian monument to Major-General Winfield Scott Hancock. This view was taken facing north at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, January 7, 2009.

The equestrian monument to Major-General Winfield Scott Hancock was dedicated on June 5, 1896, the same day as the equestrian monument to Major-General George Meade. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, January 7, 2009.

The sculptor of the Hancock equestrian monument was Francis Edwin Elwell (1858-1922). This view was taken facing north at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, January 7, 2009.

Born in Concord, Massachusetts, Elwell was adopted by author Louisa May Alcott. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, January 7, 2009.

Elwell received his first instruction in art from Louisa May Alcottâ€™s sister, Abigail May Alcott, who also taught noted sculptor Daniel Chester French. French is best known for his sculpture of a seated Abraham Lincoln in Washington D.C.’s Lincoln Memorial. This view was taken facing north at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, January 7, 2009.

Elwell later studied under French and shared a studio with him in New York City. This view was taken facing north at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, January 7, 2009.

Icicles hang off the muzzle of this artillery piece marking a position held by Cooper’s and Rickett’s batteries. The Evergreen Cemtery gatehouse is in the background. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, January 7, 2009.

An artillery piece marking Cooper’s/Rickett’s battery position is in the foreground. Culp’s Hill is covered with fog and ice in the background. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, January 7, 2009.

This second monument on East Cemetery Hill dedicated to Cooper’s Pennsylvania Battery was dedicated on September 11, 1889. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, January 7, 2009.

The muzzle of the cannon on top of the monument to Cooper’s Battery B, 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, January 7, 2009.

Colonel Isaac Avery’s North Carolinians charged across these now icy fields up the slope and among cannon located in this position on the evening of July 2, 1863. This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, January 7, 2009.